It’s not ‘Fall’ where I am right now (dPS are out here in Australia, Melbourne to be precise) so where we are it’s Spring and when it IS ‘Fall’ we call it Autumn…. THat’s your ‘other side of the world’ lesson for the day – Ha! …but we know that many of you are on the other side of the world and that you’re all sad that it’s not summer anymore (or are you?! I was talking to friends in California yesterday, it was 111! No thanks)
Use the hashtag when you post #dPSWeeklyChallenge & #dPSFall22
Fall… When I think of fall I think of falling leaves, oranges, yellows, browns, that kind of thing. What do you think of? (I asked my kids, they muttered something about falling off bikes or trampolines, let’s not do that…)
Remember, the point of these weekly challenges (we had a break last week, so it’s time for a refresher!) is to sharpen your skills, be a part of our community and learn or teach someone something about photography, so head out and make a new photograph, share just your best result either in the comments below or over in our Facebook group (not a member, join, it’s free)
Are you looking for forced perspective examples? We’ve got you covered!
In this article, we share 16 amazing examples of forced perspective photography. We also offer a handful of quick tips – so that if you want to capture some beautiful images of your own, you know exactly what to do.
Ready to be blown away? Let’s dive right in.
What is forced perspective photography?
Forced perspective is a technique that manipulates human perception to make objects appear larger, smaller, farther, or closer than they actually are.
Generally speaking, a forced perspective photo contains a near (foreground) subject and a distant (background) subject. Through careful positioning, the photographer makes the two subjects appear on the same plane – when they are, in fact, several (or hundreds) of feet apart.
Even if you’ve never heard the term “forced perspective” before, you’ve probably seen classic examples of this type of image: tourists pretending to prop up the Leaning Tower of Pisa, people “holding” one another in the palm of their hands, or a person “crushing” a building with their foot.
Amazing forced perspective examples
Check out these 16 outstanding examples of forced perspective photography! Be warned, however: They’re incredibly mind-bending.
Giannis Kritikos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Chris Feser from Seattle, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Niranjan Arminius, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
3 quick tips for amazing forced perspective photos
Capturing jaw-dropping forced perspective shots isn’t hard. You just need to know a few tricks:
1. Choose a small foreground subject and a big background subject
The best forced perspective images tend to feature a clear foreground and background subject.
So I recommend you select these in advance. The background subject should be many times larger than the foreground subject. Look at the examples above; see how the foreground element appears slightly larger than (or equal in size to) the background element. That only happens when the foreground is small and the background is big!
The most basic method is to position a person (or a person’s hand) in the foreground and a (reasonably) tall building in the background. This is a perfectly valid approach, and when you’re just starting out, it’s a great way to have plenty of forced perspective fun.
Over time, you’ll start to notice more and more photo opportunities, and you can create more complex images that include unique foreground and background subjects.
2. Use a narrow aperture to keep the entire scene in focus
To create the most effective forced perspective illusion, you must trick the viewer into believing that your foreground and background subjects exist on the same plane.
Which means that your foreground and background subjects should both appear sharp. After all, two objects on the same plane should feature identical levels of sharpness!
If you simply point your camera and shoot, you’ll often end up with a sharp foreground subject and a blurry background subject (or vice versa). Instead, you should switch your camera over to its Manual or Aperture Priority mode, then dial in a narrow aperture (such as f/8, f/11, or beyond). I’d also encourage you to switch your lens over to manual focus, then adjust the focus ring until you’ve focused about a third of the way into the scene.
The narrow aperture will ensure that your shot has a deep depth of field, and by carefully focusing your lens, you can keep the entire scene in focus (from foreground to background).
3. Carefully position the foreground subject
To maintain a forced perspective illusion, you must make sure that your foreground subject’s position sells the shot.
Don’t just position the subject sloppily. Instead, pay careful attention to the effect you’re trying to create – and make sure the foreground subject lines up perfectly with the background. If your subject is “touching” a building with an outstretched finger, the finger should be positioned right on the edge of the object. If your foreground subject is “holding” another person in their palm, the background subject’s shoes should be aligned with the top of the foreground subject’s hand.
Pro tip: If you’re struggling to position your subject, try leaving it and moving your camera instead. And if you can’t sell the effect without perfect positioning, I encourage you to use a tripod; it’ll keep your camera in place while you adjust your settings as needed.
Forced perspective photography examples: final words
Now that you’ve finished this article, you know to create beautiful forced perspective shots of your very own – and you’ve seen plenty of amazing examples!
So head out with your camera and practice. Pay careful attention to positioning, control your settings, and select the perfect foreground and background subjects. Good luck!
Which of these forced perspective photos is your favorite? What do you plan to shoot? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Lightroom Classic’s newest updates have brought some long-requested changes as well as several tweaks and small fixes. In fact, three of the most powerful updates have the potential to transform your photography workflow – or at least speed it up.
There’s a lot more to discover than you might realize, so in this article, I’ll do a deep dive into Lightroom’s most recent major update. I’ll go through each of the new features, I’ll explain how they work, and I’ll offer a few quick tips to help you improve your Lightroom editing.
Lightroom June 2022 update: What’s new?
I generally just ignore software updates and don’t install them until they’re absolutely necessary; most of them seem to offer nothing more than vague “bug fixes” or “other improvements.” Yawn.
But if you’ve been waiting to download the newest version of Lightroom Classic, don’t delay any longer! In addition to a host of minor improvements, there are three powerful features that deserve your attention: AI Mask Copy-Paste, Quick Invert Mask, and a Preset Amount slider. There are also some helpful minor upgrades, and it all amounts to a sizable step up for the software millions of photographers rely on for their post-processing.
Let’s take a look at each major update in turn:
1. AI Mask Copy-Paste
Lightroom has long offered the ability to synchronize edits across multiple photos, and this is a huge timesaver for photographers who want to quickly apply a slew of edits to dozens or even hundreds of images. However, the relatively recent addition of AI masks has complicated matters. It’s easy to copy-paste edits such as crops and white balance tweaks, but photographers who have come to rely on AI options like Select Sky or Select Subject have been left out in the cold – until now.
Each of these pictures is slightly different, making a generic copy-paste somewhat impractical. However, the Summer 2022 Lightroom Classic update solves this problem.
This new feature allows you to create an AI mask for one picture, then synchronize those edits across other pictures (just like you can with normal edits). Instead of doing a generic copy-paste job that might not give you the results you want, Lightroom generates a unique AI mask for each individual image and applies edits accordingly.
How to use it
Working with the AI Mask Copy-Paste feature is so easy it almost feels like cheating. When I first tried it, I honestly thought I had messed something up because there was no way it could’ve been that simple.
But it was. All you have to do is use one of the AI masking tools like Select Subject or Select Sky, then implement the edits that you’re after: Exposure, White Balance, Highlights, Shadows, etc.
The AI Select Sky option took took less than one second to identify the sky, which is shown with a red overlay.
Performing a generic copy-paste of these edits would normally be useless. The mask and its accompanying edits would invariably need tweaking because no two photos are the same.
However, the AI Copy-Paste feature solves that; instead of doing a standard copy-paste job, it copies the process used to generate the mask, then pastes the edits onto the result. Basically, it performs the same Select Sky or Select Subject operation already performed on the original, then applies the original edits to the new photo.
Start by selecting Settings>Copy Setting. Choose the Masking option:
Click the Masking option to copy the AI mask settings.
Now just select a photo (or multiple photos) to which you want your AI mask and edits to be applied. Then choose Settings>Paste Settings. Lightroom will first generate the AI mask, then apply the edits from the original.
If you have a relatively recent computer, Lightroom will perform this operation in one or two seconds.
That’s really all there is to it, and if you do a lot of work with landscapes or portraits, this tool is an incredible addition to Lightroom and can save you untold hours in the editing room.
Lightroom generated this mask by using the AI Select Sky tool, then it pasted my edits from the original. It took a tiny fraction of the time it would’ve taken to achieve the same result manually.
Quick tips
Tip 1: You can use the Sync button at the bottom of the Develop module to copy-paste AI masks for many photos at once. It will take several seconds or even minutes for Lightroom to generate the AI masks on all the images, but the results will be worth it.
Tip 2: If you want to copy-paste settings from multiple masks, just select all the relevant masks when you choose Copy Settings. Note that this includes AI-generated masks as well as manually generated masks.
You can copy-paste multiple masks, including masks created by AI and masks that you create yourself.
2. Quick Invert Mask
Invert Mask is one of those better-late-than-never features that photographers have been asking about for years. I’m mostly just happy that it’s finally here.
You see, I’ve often found myself applying edits to one part of an image and then applying a completely different set of edits to the exact opposite portion of an image. However, without an easy Invert Mask option, this seemingly simple process was often an exercise in frustration. Thankfully, those days are now gone. The result, while relatively simple, is a welcome addition to any photographer’s editing toolkit.
How to use it
If you thought the AI Preset Copy-Paste feature was simple, this one is really going to please you. All you have to do is start with a mask and click one button!
Lightroom has a “Select Subject” AI mask option, but not a “Select Everything but the Subject” mask. Until now.
After your mask is created, click the three horizontal dots next to the mask, and select the Invert Mask option:
The result is a mask that is the exact opposite of the original, which is a huge benefit and a timesaver for all kinds of photographers. It works for all masks, not just those that are AI-generated – and it lets you instantly edit all portions of an image except the area you originally selected.
Everything is masked except for the subject.
Quick tips
Tip 1: If you want to preserve your original mask, use the Duplicate and Invert Mask option. That will create a second mask that is the exact opposite of the original, which gives you the freedom to apply edits to both masks instead of just one or the other.
Tip 2: One image can have many masks, and it’s easy to lose track of them all, especially if you’re creating a slew of inverted duplicates. Give each mask a name by selecting the three horizontal dots and choosing Rename:
It’ll help you keep track of all your masks, and the names will also be used if you copy and paste mask settings from one image to another.
3. Preset Amount slider
This is a feature I didn’t know I wanted, but now that I have it, I’m not sure how I ever managed without it! Lightroom is packed to the gills with presets that give you one-click access to different styles and visual alterations, which you can then tweak and refine using the sliders in the Develop module.
What if you like a preset but don’t want to implement it at full strength? Until now, that hasn’t really been an option. However, the latest Lightroom update includes a slider that makes it not just possible, but easy.
How to use it
Using the Preset Amount slider is just as simple as it sounds: Select a picture in the Develop module, click a preset, then a slider will appear – one that lets you adjust the preset’s intensity.
The original image (imported directly from my camera).
The default value is 100, and lowering it lessens the overall effect. To increase the preset strength, you can raise the value above 100.
I applied the CN02 Cinematic preset to give the image a more subdued appearance. The result is good, but not quite what I was looking for.
Prior to the addition of this new feature, photographers needed to adjust and tweak all the individual parameters of a preset to make the edit more subtle or more impactful. This was done through panels in the Develop module (e.g., Basic, Detail, Color, and Tone Curve). But now all you have to do is adjust the Preset Amount slider!
Adjusting the Preset Amount to 40 gave me the exact result I was after. It applied just enough of the CN02 preset to produce some subtle changes to color and exposure while keeping enough of the original look intact.
Quick tips
Tip 1: Click the number next to the Amount slider; you can then type in a numerical value. This is handy if you want to quickly adjust the preset strength to a specific amount without clicking and dragging the slider back and forth.
Tip 2: Not all presets are designed to work with this slider. If you click a preset and the Amount slider is grayed out, you will need to select another preset (or manually tweak the editing sliders to reduce or increase the preset strength).
Tip 3: If you make your own preset using the Develop>New Preset option, check the Support Amount Slider box to ensure you can adjust the intensity as needed.
Click the Support Amount Slider when making new presets to ensure the intensity will be adjustable.
Lightroom’s newest features: final words
The June 2022 updates to Lightroom Classic demonstrate Adobe’s continued support of photographers. These three features are a huge improvement for anyone who wants to save time, streamline their workflow, and get better results.
While the AI Mask Copy-Paste option is so good that it’s almost magical, the ability to invert masks and adjust the preset intensity are welcome additions, too.
What about you? What are your favorite Lightroom improvements, and how have you used these tools to enhance your editing? Leave your thoughts and any sample images in the comments below.
Struggling to decide if you should buy a mirrorless camera? We’ve got you covered.
These days, I regularly shoot with both mirrorless and DSLR cameras. Over time, I’ve come to recognize a handful of clear advantages mirrorless models offer over their DSLR counterparts – and it’s those mirrorless camera benefits that I share in this article.
(I also offer a handful of mirrorless recommendations. That way, if you decide that a mirrorless system is right for you, you know what to buy.)
So if you’re just getting into photography but you’re not sure where to start, or you’re a DSLR owner considering the switch to mirrorless, read on!
Note: Mirrorless cameras are great. But DSLR cameras aren’t objectively inferior to mirrorless models, either. DSLRs still have their uses – as I said, I regularly work with one! A DSLR can be a great buy for photographers with certain needs. So if none of the mirrorless benefits that I share below speak to you, then perhaps a DSLR is the better buy. Make sense?
1. Mirrorless cameras offer a live exposure preview
For me, this is the biggest advantage of mirrorless cameras. In fact, it’s the main reason I bought my first mirrorless body back in 2020.
On a DSLR, when you look through the viewfinder, you see the actual scene before you (through your camera’s lens). That’s how the DSLR optical viewfinder works: Light shines from the scene, bounces around the internal mirrors, and reaches the user’s eye.
But – as the name suggests – mirrorless cameras aren’t designed with this mirrored system. Instead, they use an electronic viewfinder (EVF), which doesn’t show scenes directly, but instead displays a feed from the camera’s sensor. This EVF feed incorporates exposure information, so the image you see generally corresponds to the image that you ultimately get.
See the camera viewfinder? Inside, there’s a small screen that allows you to see a preview of the shot.
Now, the feed isn’t perfect. It won’t always show you an accurate representation of the final image, especially if you’re shooting long exposures with changing light. And on many mirrorless cameras, the preview image’s depth of field doesn’t reflect the final image’s depth of field (unless you hit the “depth of field preview” button).
But it’s really, really good. And it’s extremely useful for those situations where you need to capture shots on the fly. It gives you an immediate understanding of where your camera’s exposure is and where it needs to be. If your image looks too dark or too light, you can just do a few twists of your camera’s dial, and – voila! – you’ll have a detailed image.
There are downsides to using electronic viewfinders. They vary a lot in terms of quality, some of the cheaper EVFs can lag, and they certainly can’t match DSLR viewfinders in terms of clarity. Plus, there are some situations where you’ll want to work without exposure simulation – when you’re using flash indoors, for instance – and this often means diving into your camera’s menu in order to figure out how to turn the feature off.
But if you’re the type of person who wants to know the resulting exposure before you hit the shutter button, then mirrorless is a great choice.
(One more thing: While most mirrorless cameras offer electronic viewfinders, some entry-level models eschew the viewfinder entirely. If you’re excited about the live preview advantage, make sure your mirrorless model has an EVF before you hit that “buy” button!)
2. Mirrorless cameras are small and lightweight
The specifics of this mirrorless advantage really depend on the camera you buy. The larger mirrorless bodies are on par with mid-sized DSLRs, but small mirrorless bodies (such as the Sony a6600) are literally pocket-sized, and you can generally carry one around for days without ever realizing it’s in your bag.
This is ideal if you always want to have your camera on hand to capture shots of your kids, interesting scenes while out walking, etc. It’s also perfect for the travel photographer (you won’t have to worry about checked baggage weight limits or carry-on allowances).
Plus, smaller mirrorless bodies are great for street photographers trying to remain inconspicuous. While passersby are bound to notice you lugging around a huge DSLR when shooting in, say, New York City, a diminutive mirrorless camera will often fly under the radar, and you’ll have a much easier time capturing candid photos.
If you really want to take the small form factor to the next level, make sure you check out Micro Four Thirds cameras like the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV. MFT cameras are particularly handy thanks to their small lenses, so if you’re serious about limiting your camera’s size and weight, they’re a great pick.
Here’s an example of the size variation you can find with mirrorless bodies, from the large Olympus OM-D E-M1X, all the way down to the compact E-M10 Mark III:
3. You can see in black and white as you shoot
Black and white photography is beautiful. It’s also very difficult to get right, mostly because we humans aren’t capable of seeing in monochrome. The best black and white photographers learn how to imagine a monochromatic world, but that can take years of practice.
Fortunately, mirrorless cameras have a nifty solution:
A live monochrome preview.
If your mirrorless camera includes an electronic viewfinder, then you can program it to display in black and white. When you put the EVF to your eye, you’ll see a perfect reproduction of the world – but in monochrome. Amazing, right?
(How do you program your camera to display in black and white? You’ll need to change the picture style to monochrome; the specifics vary from camera to camera, but it’s generally just a very simple adjustment in the camera menu. If you can’t figure it out, check your manual.)
This mirrorless trick means that you can immediately boost your black and white potential. Instead of struggling to see in black and white (which is half the battle of the B&W genre!), you can understand the medium straight out of the gate. You’ll see how different colors are rendered in black and white. You’ll see how black and white tones change as the light changes.
And you’ll become a much better black and white photographer along the way.
Now, it’s true: You can see a monochromatic preview by using your DSLR’s Live View option. But the preview will only appear on your LCD, not in the viewfinder, so its application is far more limited. That’s why I encourage all black and white beginners to consider a mirrorless system.
4. Mirrorless cameras offer silent shooting modes
Like the idea of photographing without a sound? Then you’re going to love mirrorless cameras.
You see, most mirrorless cameras offer true silent shooting, where you can fire off a photo and nobody – not even a person standing right next to you – will hear the shutter.
This is a huge deal, especially for those street and event shooters who need to stay totally unnoticeable. Imagine: You could photograph an entire wedding and would never need to worry about breaking the silence. You could shoot a classical music concert and nobody would ever turn to look. You could capture candid street shots and your subjects would never even glance in your direction.
Some DSLRs do offer silent shooting modes, but these vary in terms of their effectiveness. And the quietest modes rely on the electronic shutter and only work in Live View, whereas mirrorless silent shooting modes work while using either the LCD or the viewfinder.
Do be aware, however, that silent shooting modes have drawbacks. On some mirrorless cameras, these “silent” files contain less color information, which can slightly limit your ability to adjust colors in post-processing. And silent shooting modes can distort fast-moving objects (such as cars and plane propellers), so if you plan to photograph sports or birds in flight, make sure your chosen camera offers a fast shutter readout speed.
5. Mirrorless cameras come with all sorts of cool bonus features
When I got my first mirrorless camera, I was happy with the smaller size and the live preview, and those were the main reasons that I bought it in the first place.
But the extra features…
…well, I couldn’t wait to try them out.
I’m talking about things like focus peaking, which indicates, in advance, which areas of your shot are going to be in focus. It’s not perfect, but it helps you understand whether your focusing is accurate, plus it’s just very cool.
I’m also a fan of manual focusing guides, which let you select autofocus points and tell you when you’ve nailed them with manual focus. This last feature has been invaluable in ensuring I get my point of focus exactly right; it acts as a check when manual focusing for landscape, architectural, and macro photography.
Now, not all mirrorless cameras offer these features. And there are some bonuses, such as Olympus’s Pro Capture option, that you’ll only find in a select few mirrorless bodies.
So when you’re looking at cameras, check out the features hidden in the menus. Who knows? You might find something really special!
The best mirrorless cameras in 2022
If you’re set on mirrorless but you’re not sure which model to buy, then here are a few recommendations:
Beginners looking to dive head first into photography should consider the Canon EOS R10, the Nikon Z50, or the Sony a6400, all of which offer excellent shooting capabilities for reasonable prices. Note that the EOS R10 can use lenses from Canon’s older EF lineup (via an adapter), while the Z50 can use lenses from Nikon’s F-mount series (also via an adapter); this is a great way to grab high-quality lenses at fantastic prices.
Intermediate and serious shooters coming over from the world of DSLRs should check out a mid-level full-frame model such as the Canon EOS RP or EOS R6, the Sony a7 III or a7 IV, and the Nikon Z5 or Z6 II.
And professionals who require the best of the best should look into models like the Sony a7R IV, the Nikon Z7 II, and the Canon EOS R5 – or even the Canon EOS R3, the Sony a1, and the Nikon Z9. These models offer pro-level resolution, lightning-fast speeds, or a combination of both, but they don’t come cheap.
5 essential mirrorless camera advantages: final words
Now that you’ve finished this article, you know all about the advantages of mirrorless cameras, and whether a mirrorless model is right for you.
I love mirrorless technology, but these systems certainly aren’t for everyone. There are good reasons to shoot mirrorless, sure, but there are also good reasons to use a DSLR (and there are even reasons to shoot film!).
Now I’d like to know your opinion:
Which do you prefer, mirrorless cameras or DSLRs? Are there any reasons for shooting mirrorless that I missed? And if you shoot with a DSLR, why? Let us know in the comments below!
